Published Friday May 16, 2008
IA: Lawsuit: Immigration raid violated workers' rights
By AMY LORENTZEN Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1000&u_sid=10123725

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The nation's largest single immigration raid, resulting in nearly 400 arrests earlier this week, violated the constitutional rights of workers at a meatpacking plant, a federal lawsuit says.

The lawsuit accuses the government of arbitrary and indefinite detention. It seeks to prevent the government from moving the arrested workers out-of-state as their cases wend through the system.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office said he couldn't comment on the lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of about 147 of the workers rounded up Monday at an Agriprocessors Inc. meat processing plant.

The lawsuit was filed against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and several government officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

Most of the arrested workers were held in local jails. The suit notes that other raids have seen detainees transferred for detention far from attorneys, making it difficult to work on their cases.

An attorney who interviewed detainees learned that Agriprocessors obtained false identification for immigrant workers, improperly withheld money from employees' paychecks for "immigration fees," did not allow workers to use the restroom during 10-hour shifts, physically abused workers and didn't compensate them for overtime work, according to the lawsuit.

As victims of alleged crimes, the workers would be eligible for certain visas that would let them gain legal status, the suit said. Some of the arrested workers have spouses and children that are U.S. citizens and could be eligible for immigration relief because of their family ties, according to the suit.

The suit noted that a number of immigrant workers' children have been stranded with baby sitters and other caretakers as a result of the raid.

Telephone messages left for lawyers who filed the lawsuit weren't immediately returned.

This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard of. Is there a loop-hole in the laws that could give these people legal status? Anyone know about this?

Also, see "interesting" comment left on web blog re: further info regarding the Lubavitch Jewish sect which owns the Postville processing plant and lawsuits filed in 2007....$6.25 an hour!!...http://nebraskaobserver.wordpress.co...town/#comments